But that’s not all…Linley’s mom and big sister Leila baked and decorated this larger-than-life cupcake.  We were quite impressed with Miko’s creativity of using folded foil around the cake to simulate a cupcake liner.

It’s always fun to see children react to their first cake. But what we see as an icon of excitement and celebration some kids view very differently.

Her face says: “Oh my goodness, whatever is this thing?”

It turns out Linley isn’t a big fan of birthday cakes—yet—but she does make the cutest little ballerina! Happy 1st Birthday, Linley! We’ll have to see how you react next year.

And for all you moms out there, we make the smash cake photos sessions easy (here’s a little more proof).  You provide the kid, the cake, and a little space in your home, and we’ll do the rest.  Just send us a note to book your session.

For the past two years, the L. Family has been up for a little adventure and chosen to break the mold by avoiding local parks and the beach to have their family sessions at a couple off-beat locations.  You might remember their awesome photos last year at The Lab and The Camp in Costa Mesa.

This fall, the L. Family took us up on one of our mini-sessions offered at Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano.  And just like last year, the results were awesome!  This trio has great energy and everyone was willing to explore all the scenic nooks that line this historic street.

Harrison was four when we first met him.  This year, he is a proud 5-year-old and in kindergarten.  It was great seeing how much he’s grown since their last family session.

Our favorite shot of Harrison.

And our favorite family shot. The tall tree in the background is actually a cactus.  It’s definitely a must-see!

Thanks so much to the L. Family!  We can’t wait to do it again next year.

This session was a first for us.  As you already know, Keith and I usually photograph families outdoors in and around Orange County.  But the awesome F. Family asked us to drop by their home for this special studio-type session.  And we LOVED it!

The family dog Rylee even got in on the act. She was actually very well behaved and required some coaxing to get involved; but soon enough Ella “shared” her cake with Rylee by spreading some frosting on Rylee’s head. What a good friend!

Thanks to the F. family for their hospitality and for sharing their princess with us for the afternoon.

We would love to do this again.  If you’ve got a one-year-old and cake, we’ll help you get your smash on!  Just contact us for details.

And a special tip for all you moms and dads out there…you don’t need fancy backdrops or studio lights to get gorgeous shots of your little ones at home.  Just experiment with a little window light and some cool fabrics.  In the shot above, we had some great afternoon light peeking through one of the bedroom windows.  We stretched out about three yards of this cool swirly fabric (compliments of Jo-Ann Fabrics) on the bed and placed Linley on top.  Landon was awesome and held up some of the fabric in the background while Keith and I photographed.  The result: cute photos!

Again, here’s that great window light.  It made for a great mother-daughter shot.

And don’t forget the details!  Photos of tiny hands, toes, and bellies make for great shots for the baby book.

Congrats to Miko and Landon!  Thanks so much for letting us share in documenting this special time for your family.

For all those wonderful families who chose us to capture your important memories, thank you for allowing us to share your days. For our many frequent blog visitors, thanks for stopping by. In the coming days we plan to launch our belated year in review to relive some of our favorite moments of the year. And then… well, stay tuned for details about our annual contest for family portrait clients. You could be a winner!

We look forward to bigger and better things in the coming year, and we wish you all success in whatever you tackle this year. So get that new calendar up and get cracking on 2010!

It turned out to be a beautiful day for photography in south Orange County; we met in Laguna Beach, where we found some flower beds that just scream “take your picture with me!” Which we did. We headed down to the sand where the kids took advantage of the pristine beach and ran right up to the water. Someone had the great idea to bring some chairs and a sheet which we repurposed to create a portable studio right on the beach.

This is the first family to ask for photos on the beach, but I doubt it will be the last. I think the photos prove why everyone loves southern California. Just another postcard-perfect moment in south OC!

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As you can tell, Ella made a fine model—she looks particularly adorable in her traditional Korean birthday outfit. Look at those colors! Part of the fun of our job is capturing all the little moments and objects the family took so long to put together, like the cake, food, balloons, and other decorations. It’s always fun to see how different families celebrate milestones and it seems the decorations help tell the story.  In this case, the colorful butterfly-themed decor for Ella’s party definitely put a smile on our faces.

Don’t tell anyone, but we enjoy event photography as much as our clients enjoy having parties! If you are planning a birthday or anniversary party in Orange County and want to capture those special memories, give us a jingle. We’d love to photograph your special event!

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